Israel

New alliances with Arab nations are positive but unstable, and old enemies are most dangerous when in a weakened state. Israel’s immediate surrounding strategic neighborhood has recently become far more positive for it. After all, for now, Israel does not face simultaneous existential threats from both Iran and the Arab world. But that unexpected upturn will demand more vigilance than ever, given the lessons of the past: Alliances of convenience with antithetical states rarely last and do not always ensure long-term security, while enemies like Iran that are declining and desperate grow especially dangerous.

Netanyahu's widening of Israel's war with Iran and its proxies into Lebanon and Iraq — and perhaps beyond — and his acknowledgement of that wider war raise questions for both of us. Tens of millions of Muslims see her as an enemy to be expelled from the region. While there is a cold peace with Egypt and Jordan, the Saudis and Gulf Arabs are temporary allies as long as the foe is Iran. Is this pervasive enmity sustainable? As for America, have we ceded to Netanyahu something no nation should ever cede to another, even an ally: the right to take our country into a war of their choosing but not of ours?

Dems are harshly critical of Israel, silent about Palestinian attacks and believe in wooing Iran, which threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Trump has taken unprecedented moves that favor Israel. He moved our embassy to Jerusalem and recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights. He is confronting Iran after withdrawing from the nuclear pact and is preparing a plan that aims to settle the Palestinian issues. In the face of all this, the Palestinians refuse to talk to the administration and curse the president and his family. That’s the side Tlaib and Omar have chosen, and they have only themselves to blame for the consequences.

Rachel Maddow is intentionally distorting what conservative Steven Menashi’s law review article said about Israel and ethnonationalism because she shares the Left’s anti-Semitism and because she can’t countenance the idea of a well-qualified Jewish member of the Trump White House Counsel’s staff sitting on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

If President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo are serious about stopping the Iranian Islamist threat to the West, their first order of business should be to stop giving the Iranians American forums from which they can threaten Israel and undermine our policies.

The truly dangerous anti-Semitism is coming from within the Democratic Party and its allies, often masquerading under the thinnest veneer of anti-Zionism. This growing bigotry has its origins in a vile alliance of the left and militant Islam (despite the obvious misogyny and homophobia of Islam — the left doesn't care, for some reason). It has infected our college campuses to the degree that Jewish students often feel threatened and if they are supporters of Israel or (gasp!) Republicans, are forced to go underground in a democracy. Very few Democrats have said anything — their media allies, many of whom are also Jewish, even less.

After decades of tilting left-liberal in the most conventional sense, something may be brewing among American Jewry that could result in real change, if it doesn't start an internal civil war. The day Donald Trump announced the recognition of Israeli control of the Golan Heights is the same day it was reported that none--that's zero--- of the many 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidates would be speaking at or attending the AIPAC (America-Israel Public Affairs Committee) annual meeting later this month.

“This is another bold act of presidential leadership in support of one of America’s most important allies, Israel. The president recognized that Israel’s control of the Golan Heights is the reality, and this is not going to change. President Trump also sent a signal to Iran that the U.S. will not tolerate it using Syria as a platform to threaten Israel’s security.” Fred Fleitz, President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy.

In response to the growing anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party, Rabbi Aryeh Spero of the National Conference of Jewish Affairs has announced an emergency action in Washington and invites all who oppose anti-Semitism to come together on March 14, at 1pm outside Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office, 1236 Longworth House Office Building, 15 Independence Ave SE, Washington DC 20515.

Democrats’ ultimate problem is their party is now largely secular, angry and radical, and moving away from its Judeo-Christian roots. The trends are more pronounced now than they were 10 years ago, and we can only imagine where the party will be 10 years from now. Against this madness, give Trump his due. He embraces Israel for the miracle and strategic ally it is, and boldly moved our embassy to Jerusalem. And so far, when it comes to standing with Israel, the Dems looking to challenge him in 2020 offer no competition.

A forced and insincere apology from Rep. Ilhan Omar is hardly enough and does not address the real problem here; having an open anti-Semite in the confidential decision-making hierarchy of our government. We think that RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel had it right when she tweeted: Nancy Pelosi was wrong to elevate her to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Now Pelosi should remove her.

Washington’s overall objective should be to bring peace to America, not micro-manage other nations’ conflicts. Washington policymakers come up with long lists of objectives which are not worth the cost, in this case essentially permanent war. Withdrawal from Syria is long overdue.

A congressional commission found America is weak, isolated, beleaguered, and endangered. Military spending must be greatly increased or Washington will lose its ability to run the world. In which case a new Dark Age may envelop the earth.

Now is the time for Trump to act. He was able to move the embassy to Jerusalem. The predicted outbursts did not occur and other nations are beginning to follow suit. The next logical step would be the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. The moment is particularly propitious because of the Syria withdrawal. Friends of Israel are concerned for the safety of the one nation that is a reliable U.S. ally in the region (arguably the most reliable US ally anywhere). Take the Golan off the table. Do it, Donald!

President Trump’s remarks at the UN were noteworthy, not so much for their radical departure from the interventionist policies of the two Bush presidents, and their rejection of the weakness and globalism of Obama, but for their return to the principles of George Washington.

The Trump administration appears to share the belief of prior administrations that it can transform the Middle East in America’s image. But Washington’s record in the Middle East is catastrophic. It is time to bring home America’s troops.

The U.S. is at war in Yemen. Special Forces are on the ground in Saudi Arabia, while Washington is providing Riyadh’s military with munitions, targeting assistance, and aerial refueling. All to bomb a nation whose people have done nothing against Americans.

T.E. Lawrence described how to earn the respect of the Arab tribesmen he helped rally to defeat the Ottoman Turks this way: The Arab respected force a little: he respected craft more, and often had it in enviable degree: but most of all he respected blunt sincerity of utterance… It doesn’t get much blunter than moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

President Trump has made the right decision to take us out of the Obama nuclear weapons deal by reimposing sanctions on Iran and assembling a broad coalition to counter the totality of the regime’s malign activities. However, those “malign activities” are not things that only occur in the Middle East, Iran is conducting a war against us right here in the United States and fighting them here needs to be part of the President's new policy.